Mafia's Ex Wife

Chapter Thirty Nine

Elisabeth (Five years ago)

It's absolute hell sitting in a crowded emergency room lobby, waiting to find out if your husband made it out of surgery.

It's a very special kind of hell when you have to do it with his parents who make no effort to hide the fact that they can't stand you. In fact, if Andre hadn't called me, I probably wouldn't have even know that Jax got shot.

Shot.

In the right shoulder. Centimeters from an artery. Unconscious when they brought him in.

My entire body trembles. Jax has to be okay. He has to be. I can't let myself even consider another possibility, because I'll come completely undone. In the last few years, Jax has become absolutely everything to me. He knows the deepest, darkest secrets of my soul and he protects them as if they're his own. He doesn't just accept every part of me, but he celebrates every part of me--my scars, flaws and mistakes just as much as my successes and achievements and talents. I love him more than I ever knew was possible, and the idea that I could lose him is debilitating.

Frank and Marlena sit across the waiting from me as if we're waiting on two completely different patients. They've hardly looked at me this entire time, and I had anywhere else I could wait, I would. I want to be here the second there's any news, though, so I have to tough it out.

It's been almost ten days since I've even seen Jax. I'm at the tail end of law school and I've been swamped with finals. Between studying, Jax traveling for work, and me commuting into the city for class, we're like two ships passing in the night. And I hate it.

After what feels like a lifetime, a doctor finally emerges from the operating room. "Mrs. Hale?"

Marlena and I both stand up and the doctor looks between us uncomfortably. I don't even bother to confront her, even though he's obviously looking Jax's wife and not his psychotic mother. "Um, Jax is out of surgery and he's recovering in ICU now. So far, everything looks good and anticipate a full recovery."

Thank God." I let out a breath that I feel like I've been holding since I got the news.

"Oh that's great news!" Marlena exclaims, covering her mouth and turning into Frank's embrace.

"Mrs. Hale, you're welcome to come back with me and I can take you to his room. He's been asking for you." The doctor says quietly, turning to me.

"Oh, I'll just get me stuff then." Marlena reaches for her bag and jacket. I don't want to make a scene, but if that woman tries to go back there before me, that's exactly what's going too happen.

"The other Mrs. Hale." The doctor clarifies. "He wants to see his wife."

"Wife." Marlena scoffs, glaring at me. I completely ignore her and grab my things before following the doctor. "Make sure he knows his real family is here, too." She calls after me.

Jax's room is a short walk down the hallway and the doctor lets me inside.

When I step in, all the air leaves my lungs. Jax looks peaceful, lying in the hospital bed asleep as machines and monitors beep all around him. Its dark, but the room is lit by the glow of the screens and I make my way over to the chair at his side.

Settling in, I take his hand, and pressing my lips to it. "I'm so glad you're okay." I whisper. "I don't know how I would survive if anything ever happened to you."

Thick, heavy tears trickle down my cheeks. I don't know if he can hear me, but I talk anyway.

"You saved my life in more ways than you could ever know, Jax. From the moment I met you, you've been building me up and making me better and I'm so insanely proud to be your wife." My voice shakes a bit. "I love you so much, baby. You're absolutely everything to me, and I'll be here to help you through every step of your recovery."

"Mrs. Hale?" A nurse peaked her head in. "If you're planning to stay the night, I can go grab some extra pillows and blankets for you."

"She isn't staying." The sound of Jax's gravely voice shocks is both.

Tears spring to my eyes, because just a few minutes ago, I wasn't sure I would ever hear it again.

"Of course, I'm staying." I frown. "What's the hell are you talking about?"

"You have the last final of your law school career tomorrow and you're sure as hell not going to stay here when you should be home studying."

Jax smirks, his eyes fluttering open. He shoots me a wink that is irritatingly handsome.

"You guys just let me know what you need." The nurse laughs and leaves us to ourselves.

"Have you been awake this whole time?"

"Yeah," Jax grins, giving my hand a squeeze. "I was going to tell you, but your speech was so sweet I didn't want to stop you. You never say any of that mushy stuff to my face."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, because you tease me real;entlessly when I get sentimental."

"Doesn't mean I don't like it." He sweeps a kiss across my hand. "Hi baby. How are you?"

"How am I?" I let out a sharp laugh. "You're the one who just nearly died, Jax. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, nearly died is an exaggeration." He props himself up in the bed. "It was a flesh wound."

"You were unconscious when they brought you in, Jax. They gave you eight bags of blood. That's not a flesh wound." I counter. I can't believe he's being so blasé about all of this, but then again I can. It's very typical Jax. And as I'm sure he'll remind me, he's been shot before.

"So maybe a bit more than a flesh wound." He finally concedes.

"What happened?"

Jax sighs, looking away from me. "Just a drop gone bad."

"The truth, Jax." I narrow my eyes at him.

He chews on this inside of his cheek, finally glancing up. "Like I said it was a drop. We were meeting a new client and didn't know much about him, so I was handling it on my own. Things were tense from the beginning and he didn't like the price I gave him for the guns. It was a sniper from a building close by. Terrible shot, obviously. Missed my temple by at least a foot."

"Jesus Christ Jax." The story makes my blood run cold. Every time he steps out our door, I know he's in danger, but hearing something like this makes it even more real.

"But we'll have better security next time and it won't happen again. I'm fine, Lizzie. I promise." He tries to assure me. "Could I do this if I wasn't?"

Jax yanks me into the bed next to him with his good arm, and I settle in next to him, my head on his chest.

"You better be. I can't have you dying on me." I swallow. Jax might be able to brush all of this away with humor, but that doesn't come easy for me. Not when I love him like I do. Not when he's literally the only reason I'm still alive.

"Trust me, baby," Jax kisses the top of my head. "It's going to be a lot harder to get rid of me than that. But seriously, you need to go before it's too late. I don't want anything to interfere with your final tomorrow."

"Jax this is one battle you're going to lose. If you think I'm leaving this hospital bed tonight, we might need to get them back in here to check your head because you might have brain damage."

"Oh she's got jokes." He chuckles.

"Besides, turns out my-husband-got-shot is a good enough reason to delay so my professor said I can make it up whenever I need to."

"Fine, but just know that I gave you a direct order and you're defying it, so you're going to have to answer for this when I'm at full strength."

"I can't think of anything I'd like more." I smile, nestling into his chest. Hearing his heart beat is music to my ears.

As strong and steady and reassuring as ever.